Silicone Injection Causing Acute Pneumonitis: A Case Series

Abstract

Local and systemic complications following injected silicone have been described, especially after cosmetic procedures by unlicensed practitioners. We report a retrospective case series of acute pneumonitis following silicone injection to the buttock. Medical records, pulmonary function tests, blood arterial gases, chest radiographs, and high-resolution computed tomography scans were reviewed. Five patients with acute pneumonitis after injected silicone were identified. All cases were men with a mean age was 25 years. Three patients had the procedure performed by the same practitioner. The amount of injected silicone ranged from 30 to 500 ml. The onset of clinical symptoms began as early as 24 h after injection to as late as 15 days. All cases had diffuse, peripheral, occasionally wedge-shaped opacities on high-resolution computed tomography. At presentation the mean oxygen saturation was 84%. All were treated with steroids and had clinical resolution of their illness within 1 month of presentation. Injection of silicone can lead to serious pulmonary complications but treatment with steroids seems to be beneficial.

An Unusual Case of Pulmonary Embolism

“…8 Moreover, other reports also show a favorable response with the use of steroids in the treatment of these patients. 3,9 However, there is no consensus regarding the use of steroids yet.…”

Acute pneumonitis following breast silicone liquid injection

“…In our patient, an acute pneumonitis was marked by a sudden shortness of breath, tachycardia, tachypnoea, fever, chest pain, and haemoptysis that appeared within 24 h after the silicone injection [1,2].…”

Respiratory Disease following Illicit Injection of Silicone: A Case Report

“…The respiratory consequences have been described as severe pulmonary toxicity, acute pneumonitis [1, 6–8], acute respiratory distress syndrome, and pulmonary embolism [9]. Pulmonary manifestations of subcutaneous silicone injections are proposed to result from inadvertent injection of silicone directly into a vein, increased tissue pressures at injection sites, and from local massage or trauma at the site.…”

“…Zamora et al [8] reported five cases of silicone-associated pneumonitis that all recovered with steroid treatment but admit that steroid responsiveness cannot be proven as there were no untreated patients with whom outcomes could be compared. Steroid therapy is often initiated in the setting of unexplained acute respiratory failure.…”